An anti-encroachment drive was conducted in various areas of Dehradun on Monday with mostly roadside encroachments and shacks being removed. The joint drive was conducted by the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun, district administration and police in different localities of the State Capital.
However, observers point out that though removal of such roadside encroachments is important, the authorities also need to act against bigger encroachments by prominent persons or businesses that are being allowed to get away with encroachment.
The anti-encroachment team first reached the Kargi area where some people had constructed shacks encroaching on the land. The team removed these encroachments which elicited opposition from those living in the shacks.
However, police presence ensured that the encroachments could be removed in face of opposition.The anti-encroachment team also removed carts and other roadside encroachments from the road between Astley Hall chowk and Survey Chowk, EC Road and other areas.
The cart vendors had heated arguments with the officials but their carts encroaching on the road were seized by the anti-encroachment team in the presence of police.
Meanwhile, the city magistrate lN Mishra said that an action plan has been drafted for clearing encroachments from across the State capital.
However, observers point out that in many cases, the land cleared of encroachment by the authorities is soon encroached upon again by the same persons or others.
Apart from this, while action is periodically taken against comparatively smaller encroachments, limited action is taken against larger encroachments by influential persons and well established businesses.
Observers state that with political interference preventing removal of encroachments in slums and influential persons using their political links to get away with encroachment, it remains to be seen whether any effective action will be taken by the authorities against encroachments in Dehradun.